Sociologist Dr. Liam O'Connor and colleagues investigated the social impact of urban "pocket parks"—small public green spaces built on single vacant lots. O'Connor hypothesized that pocket parks with active community-led stewardship, such as neighborhood-organized planting groups, foster stronger local social cohesion than pocket parks maintained exclusively by municipal government workers. To test this hypothesis, the researchers surveyed residents living within a two-block radius of various pocket parks.
Which choice, if true, would most directly support O'Connor and colleagues' hypothesis?
- APocket parks with community-led stewardship featured a wider variety of plant species and higher biodiversity than parks maintained by municipal workers.
- BSurveyed residents near all pocket parks reported visiting green spaces more frequently than they did before the parks were built.
- Residents living near community-stewardship parks reported knowing their neighbors by name and participating in local cooperative efforts at a significantly higher rate than residents near municipally maintained parks.Answer
- DResidents living near municipally maintained pocket parks expressed a strong desire to take over maintenance of those parks themselves.
Answer
The option stating that residents near community-stewardship parks reported knowing their neighbors by name and participating in local cooperative efforts at a higher rate.
The correct choice directly supports the hypothesis by showing a clear, positive correlation between community-led stewardship and indicators of social cohesion (knowing neighbors by name and cooperating locally) compared to municipally maintained parks.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying textual evidence that directly supports a specific research hypothesis.